Building a room in the basement

The girls often try to squeeze into one bedroom - with 2 sets of bunk beds and a mattress on the floor, it is doable, but not very practical.  Anyway, we decided to build a bedroom in the basement so they will all fit (Also, a big part of the reason is so if our dream of adopting is ever realized, it gives us the needed bedroom space for that). (I have a feeling that when it is done, they might have a couple of brothers who want to join them down there so it might end up being a tight squeeze after all, lol).  Here are some pictures of the progress.

Getting the studs up.

A couple of cute helpers.

Putting the tile down in front of the door.

Wiring

Putting up drywall

Insulating 

Cutting out the doorway

Drywall Mudding

Whistle while you work (Have I ever mentioned that I love this man?)

Sanding

Helping

Mudding the ceiling?

Lots of helpers

They really were helping!

More mudding

Ready to put the primer on :)

More work (the flooring)

And more work (Ceiling tile)

Happy Anniversary!!

Our 17th anniversary was last Saturday.  After taking Charlotte out for her birthday lunch ( BEST anniversary present ever having her born on our 4th anniversary!!) we brought her back home and then went out for the rest of the afternoon/evening. (It is so nice having live in babysitters! And they do such a great job.)  We spent the afternoon shopping at Lowe's and Menards (we are building a bedroom in the basement - pictures in a later post) then went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse (yum!!) and then went to Sam's Club to walk off our supper.

We got home to a clean house, kids all in bed and cookies on the counter.  I think we should do it more often.  :)

Happy Anniversary!

Thanksgiving 2013

We had such a fun Thanksgiving weekend.  My (Tamara's) parents, sister's family and some friends (who are like family) came.  The kids spent a lot of time outside traipsing through the woods and having fun with their cousins. We all spent a fair amount of the weekend eating... Some of us ventured out to some black Friday on Thursday craziness shopping while the rest stayed home and made their own craziness.  We didn't get many pictures, but here are a few snapshots of the weekend.

A bunch of the crew

We had a lot of this happening over the weekend - singing around the piano.  It was fun to have some bass added to the mix.

Two musketeers 

Three musketeers

And there is the 4th

 

An oldie but goodie

I was transferring pictures from the camera to the computer this morning and somehow the album with this oldie showed up.  This picture cracks me up -They must have been fighting and they were obviously both mad and the looks on their faces are so funny - Abigail is mad and she doesn't care who knows it - Laura is mad but she's not going to let it show (she thinks).  

Happy 13th Birthday, Charlotte!!

We love you!!

As part of their special day, our 13 year olds go out to eat with just Dad & Mom.  This is Charlotte's fried ice cream after a Mexican meal.

Happy 5th Birthday, Garrett

We love you!!

Small town benefits

Growing up near Chicago, a person gets used to the busyness and the people, people, people.  I have lived away from there for several years now, and have gotten used to and love the slower pace and relative quietness of the country and smaller towns. Even so, it still surprises and amuses me when things like this happen...

Several of the kids Have had colds for a few days. Most of them haven't felt too badly and are pretty much over them. Heidi, however, woke up wheezing this morning and had a fever. I really, really don't like taking the kids to the doctor, but constant wheezing, blue tinged lips and unusual lethargy had me calling the doctor's office to see if I could get her in today.  Dr H gave me the choice... take her home and give her treatments every two hours all night or go to the hospital... he glanced over at Heidi as she wheezed away,  and said, never mind, you live a ways away...you'd better take her in.  So we headed over to the hospital... when we got up to pediatrics I mentioned to the nurse that it was really quiet up here.  Yep, she responded, I came over from OB to open up the pediatric floor for you...

When you can't breathe through your nose you have to wear your oxygen in your mouth

Honesty...

Last night Garrett was telling Abigail a very long, detailed, completely made up story.  When he got done, he said, "Abby, that wasn't real.  I just made it up because I thought it was a good one."

Happy 9th Birthday, Heidi!!!

We Love You!!!

A Victorian tale

I overheard Laura telling Emily tonight not to worry because nobody actually died or got hurt in "this" story.  After they went to bed, I looked to see what story she was talking about.  It was one that she typed up this evening.  I'm not sure it was really meant to be a comedy, but when I read it to Todd he laughed and laughed.  I don't really have permission to post it, but sometimes forgiveness is easier to get than permission, so here it is...

...Kathleen could anticipate the words before they fell from Prince Matthew’s mouth.  “Kathleen, will you marry me?” She drew back scornfully and tossed her head.  “Marry you?  I should say not!”  Flushing with anger, Prince Matthew lept to his feet and drew a jeweled pistol.  Crack! Crack! Crack!  The glistening chandeliers tinkled as they fell to the stone floor, severed from the vaulted ceilings.  Matthew whipped around, aiming for the glistening windows this time.  As glass shattered and fell to the ground,  Charles and Princess Margaret rushed into the ballroom.  “What is going on?!”  Charles vaulted over an oak table and swung his fist wildly at the prince’s head.  As his fist contacted flesh,  there was a nasty crunching noise, and Prince Matthew fell, unconscious, to the ground.  Margaret screamed and sank into a dead faint,  knocking a candle off the table as she fell.  The flames tore at her hair,  and she vanished in an instant, leaving only a crumpled pile of ash to mark her final resting place.  Kathleen lept backwards, trying to avoid the hungry flames.  In her terror, she missed her mark and flew through the broken window.  Charles stood, stunned, and listened to his sister’s screams as she tumbled down from the fifth story.  Weeping in anguish, he turned to leave the room, but saw the inert body of his best friend, Prince Matthew, laying at his feet.  He gingerly knelt to check his pulse.  There was none.  Suddenly Charles’s body was wracked with unimaginable pain.  In his final moments, he recalled the family history of violent heart attacks, but was already dead before he had time to peruse that train of thought...........

Go to the next page for the next part of this riveting story.

MOM!!! Bobby’s been playing with my paper doll castle again!  AHHHHHH!  He has the matches out!!!  He burned up Princess Margaret and my ballroom is ruined!  WHAM! SLAP! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

Happy 16th Birthday Laura!!!

We Love You!!!